Boxing
Reviews Mattel Summary C+VG Issue 2 Landing a K.O. blow in the boxing ring is an exhilaration few of us will ever know but it is possible to relive some of the cut-and-thrust of the sport in the new Intellivision cartridge. Boxing is now added to the long list of Intellivision sports cartridges which show off the machine's graphic qualities to best effect. It's "seconds out" as you control one of the boxers fighting for survival in a tournament match. A clock on the platform stage in the righthand section of the screen ticks off the seconds of each round and the entire picture is dealt with in the usual perspective. As with most of the Intellivision games arms and legs bend in the right places so the figures appear to be really moving and not as if they are suffering from a severe case of arthritis of the joints. Points are scored tor every blow each of the players strike and penalties given for below-the-belt punches. The winner is the player with the most points at the end of a bout or a win from a knock-out. Boxing is available from the Intellivision Major League Sports Network range through UK distributors Ace (Advanced Consumer Electronics) of Wembley. Its retail price is marked at £18.95. News Activision C+VG Issue 1 The TV game of Tennis has come a long way since that first simple paddle-and-ball version appeared in the darkest corner of your local and then re-materialised in the living room. The latest Tennis games capture much more of the atmosphere of Wimbledon and that sport played by the Bjorn Borgs of this world. One such cartridge, produced by the U.S. firm of Activision for use with the Atari Video computer system, offers a skillful challenge which compares favourably with the Atari Basketball game. Two small figures whack a ball around a three-D simplification of a tennis court, rackets swinging whenever they are within arm's reach of the ball, in an attempt to out-manoeuvre one another. You cannot hit the ball out of play or into the net but it is possible to misjudge the bounce which is gauged by following the shadow of the ball along the court. It is all too common to find yourself set an impossible chase across the court after a sharply-angled shot from a superior opponent. The skill to acquire is leaving the ball until the last moment to hit it at an acute angle. Using this technique it is possible to reproduce much of the excitement of the real thing, including ace serves, serve-and-volley play, baseline duels and "running around" a shot to put it into the opposite corner. Another recent launch from Activision is Boxing. This gives a view from above a boxing ring as two competitors slug it out. Points are scored in ones and twos for hits to the opponent's head. Each hit, rocks him back and the best tactic is to trap him against the ropes and score as many points as possible before he fights his way clear again. The defensive boxer will find few places to hide in this ring and sheer aggression, combined with feverish button pummelling, usually wins the day. Knockouts occur when a fighter scores 100 points, otherwise it is two minutes of frantic action. Only two versions here, against either a human or a computer opponent, but the computer often takes a beating. These two cartridges are the first written by Activision for the Atari and are being distributed here by Computer Games at a cost of £16.95 each. More are due soon. Category:Atari 2600 Games Category:Xbox 360 Games Category:C+VG Reviews Category:Activision Category:Intellivision Games Category:Mattel Category:TV Gamer Reviews